Ádám’s Comments (group member since May 15, 2019)

Ádám’s comments from the 2025 Reading Challenge group.

I think everyone has some book he leaves unfinished. For me, in this year:

Der Mensch vor der Frage nach dem Sinn: Eine Auswahl aus dem Gesamtwerk
I started reading this because of a translation error: the Hungarian web pages were confusing and I accidentally borrowed this one from the library instead of Man's Search for Meaning. I only realized my mistake after like 80 pages, and it was a very hard book to read!

On the Makaloa Mat
Just like South Sea Tales, a collection of short stories from Jack London. However, as I didn't really like the previous, I stopped reading this after I realized it isn't any better.

Good luck with your challenge! I can see that you are reading 300-400 pages long books and you are still on the schedule, that's very impressive, congratulations! :)

Ilona wrote: "Best of luck with your goal, Adam! Not that you need it, you are doing great! :)"

Thank you! :) I originally choose the 18 books because this is my first yearly challenge, and I was not sure that I can read that much while I'm doing my last semester in university, with my thesis and final exam.

I thought that I can read 1 book per month from January to June, and I can continue with 2 per month for the rest of the year. Fortunately, I read more than this, and I hope I can surpass my goal and maybe can enter the 25+ group :)

Progress: 19/18

✔️Norvegian Wood
I really like Haruki Murakami, so this had been on my to-read list for a long time.

✔️Man's Search for Meaning
I've heard a lot of good about this book, and it's mentioned in other stories as well, so I became interested in it.

✔️The Fisherman
This was a really random choice, mostly because I had navar read from an African author before, and this was displayed in my local library.

✔️Brave New World
I think this does not require explanation - pretty basic book, it was high time to read it.

✔️The Picture of Dorian Gray
See Brave New World :)

✔️The Call of the Wild
Was recommended to me from a friend I've met on a conference and spent a few days with. It was absolutely worth reading, so I will check her other recommendations in the future.
I've also read numerous short novels from Jack London after this book, but I don't think they should be involved in my reading challenge, as most of them is only 10-20 pages long.

✔️ Hear the Wind Sing
Murakami's first work, a must read for me...

✔️Pinball, 1973
... and it's second part also.

✔️ Örök ​front
Another random choice from my local library. It is the first book of a person who is very close to me in age and lives in a city near mine, so I was just interested to check out what someone similar to me could achieve :)

✔️Férfiképmás
A little odd ball on this list, bevause I haven't read it, but heard it on a 'reading night' (I don't know what is the name of this convention in english). A famous actress read it for us, and the writer was also present - only heard selected parts from the book, but it covered more than the half of it, and it was a very new experience to me, so I wanted to involve this book on my list.

✔️Kafka on the Shore
One of Murakami's main works, I basically 'saved it' for the time I finish university and can start reading more often.

✔️South Sea Tales
I started another one of Jack London's works, a collection of short stories, just to have somethink to read when I have only a short time. Will read it between other books.

✔️Kitchen
My wife's favorite book, which she said is similar to Murakami's works, so I gave it a try. It was a very short and enjoyable reading.

✔️How to Worry Less about Money
I've got a very good deal on the books of The School of Life series, a half self-help, half philosophy Youtube channel, so I bought six of their works. This is the first one I read from it, but sadly, I was not really content with it - it only tuched the surface of the topic, and had more excursus than useful information.

✔️The Pit and the Pendulum and Other Stories
I've only read poems from Poe, and I tought it's high time to read a few of his famous short stories.

✔️The Trial
This was an extremely positive surprise. I started reading the book, because I had good memories about The Metamorphosis, and Kafka is often referenced in other novels (such as Kafka on the Shore), and I never tought I will find a new favorite book. The Trial is describes the whole topic of being arrested without even knowing why, the maze of the modern law and bureaucracy, with every aspect represented as a different character or viewpoint. A real must-read!

✔️The Sign of Four
I want to read at least the four novels on Sherlock Holmes, and this was the second one. Sadly, I don't find it as interesting or well-written as the books featuring Hercule Poirot, and so far both of them was a letdown for me.

✔️How to Connect with Nature
My second book of The School of Life series was also a medium-sized disappointment. I think there are a lot of better books on this topic - at least now I will have to motivation to search for them :)

== This is where I finished my original challenge of 18 books ==

✔️South of the Border, West of the Sun
Another Murakami book which I enjoyed very much. I'm starting to understand why some people don't like him as a writer, and that a lot of his books are very similar under the surface, but I'm still loving his stories, characters and style.

Don Quixote
I started this year's reading in January with my Christmas present, which was a very difficult choice: the 400 years old text is very amusing, surprisingly relevant, but really hard to read. I count the two parts of the book as one, but after the first I started reading other things too - will finish it in the year.